The present invention relates generally to a system for dispensing disposable wipers. More particularly the invention pertains to an improved system for retaining and dispensing wet wipes or moistened towelettes.
The concept of premoistened sheets, towelettes, or wet wipes, for cleaning hands, is not new. Wet wipes are well known commercial consumer products that have been available in many forms. Wet wipes have been made from a variety of materials that are commonly moistened with a variety of suitable wiping solutions. They are exceedingly popular for a variety of uses such as cleaning surfaces, applying topical lotions, and treating adult and baby skin surfaces to name a few uses. One reason for their popularity is that they can be used when access to washroom facilities is not available. For example, while traveling in an automobile; while engaging in sporting activities (e.g., tennis, golf, baseball, etc.), or while participating in camping, hiking, picnicking and related activities. For wet wipes to be effectively utilized in the above situations they must be packaged so that they can be transported conveniently without excessive evaporation or leakage of the moisturizing ingredients, and without becoming contaminated.
Wet wipes designed to be transportable are dispensed from one of two general types of packaging. The first type of packaging dispenses individual sheets from a stacked arrangement of such sheets and the second type of packaging dispenses sheets from a continuous roll of such sheets.
Perhaps the most common form of packaging are the first type, i.e., a stack of moistened sheets packaged in a plastic container. Typically, these wet wipes have been available in either folded or unfolded configurations. For example, stacks of wet wipes have been available wherein each of the wet wipes in the stack has been arranged in a folded configuration such as a c-folded, z-folded or quarter-folded configuration as are well known to those skilled in the art. Each folded wet wipe has also been interfolded with the wet wipes immediately above and below in the stack of wet wipes.
The second form of packaging commonly utilizes a continuous roll type configuration, i.e., the wet wipes are in the form of continuous webs of material which include perforations to separate the individual wet wipes, which are wound into rolls and packaged in plastic containers. The present invention is drawn to this continuous roll type configuration.
Containers associated with the continuous roll type wet wipe typically comprise a hollow, plastic cylindrical dispenser. Such containers are commonly semi-rigid and manufactured from materials such as polyethylene and/or polypropylene. The containers usually have a lid or cover of some form that is attached by a hinge or is mated with the container by a threaded connection. Access to the wipes is had by removing or otherwise opening the cover and withdrawing a wipe. Occasionally a dispensing port is formed within the lid or cover. The dispensing port when provided allows for the removal of a wipe without requiring complete removal of the lid or cover. The container and lid or cover when in the closed position is designed to provide an air tight storage vessel for the wet wipes.
Packages such as the container and lid or cover described above are typically disposed in landfills when the wet wipes are consumed. The cost of such disposable packaging directly impacts the overall cost of the product. In addition, the environmental impact associated with the disposal of these packages can also be significant.
Thus, there currently remains a need for a package that provides for the airtight storage of a wet wipe that is both inexpensive to manufacture and permits the consumer to realize the same advantages associated with prior art packaging.
The present invention addresses the problems described above by providing a system for containing and dispensing discrete lengths of web from a continuous web of material. The system includes: (1) a continuous web of material joined at perforations and configured into a center feed roll; and (2) a flexible, moisture impervious dispenser or pouch for containing and dispensing discrete lengths of web from the roll. The dispenser includes a resealable opening for accessing and staging a leading edge of the roll of material and is adapted to dispense discrete lengths of web separated from the roll at the perforations.
In a desirable embodiment of the invention, the continuous web of material may comprise any suitable material, for example, paper or nonwoven material and like products. More desirably, the continuous web of material comprises a pre-moistened wet wipe or towelette.
In one aspect of the invention, the dispenser is constructed such that its shape closely conforms to the shape of the roll of web material for, at least, the purpose of minimizing the use of excess materials. Desirably the dispenser is freestanding. The dispenser may be configured with a gusset to enable it to stand without external support. In one desirable freestanding position, the resealable opening is oriented so that unobstructed access to and dispensing of discrete lengths of the web material can be readily had. The product is designed to be carried conveniently by an end user. As such, a handle can be incorporated into the dispenser.
In an embodiment of the system, the resealable opening may further include: (1) a dispensing port allowing egress of the leading edge of the roll of material from the interior of the package through the resealable opening; (2) a cap disposed over the dispensing port for selectively sealing the system from the environment or enabling dispense of a discrete length of web through the dispensing port; and (3) a chamber disposed between the cap and the dispensing port for capturing and staging the leading edge of the web for dispensing. The system may also have a flange for attaching and hermetically sealing the cap assembly to the dispenser.
An additional resealable opening may also be provided in the dispenser. The additional resealable opening is adapted for receiving therethrough the roll into an interior portion of the dispenser. The second resealable opening enables installation of a replacement roll upon exhaustion of the initial roll. Furthermore, the second resealable opening enables a user to initially stage a leading edge of the web in the chamber between the cap portion and the dispensing port for proper dispensing. The second resealable opening provides a user with the further ability to restage a leading edge of the web in the event that the leading edge slips through the dispensing port and falls back into the dispenser.
In one embodiment of the invention, the additional resealable opening may include a first portion of a continuous pressure seal formed in one face of the dispenser and a second portion of a continuous pressure seal formed in a mating face of the dispenser. By pressing the first and second portions of the continuous pressure seal together, the opening is thereby sealed from the environment.